To snip parsley, cut it into tiny pieces with scissors or kitchen sheers.

Ingredients:

2 cups coarse white breadcrumbs
1/cup snipped fresh parsley
3/4 cup freshly grated Romano cheese (2-1/4 oz.)
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 large artichokes
4 tablespoon olive oil
Boiling water
1 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 large lemon cut in 4 wedges
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Procedure:

Place breadcrumbs, parsley, cheese onion, garlic, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Toss lightly to combine, set aside. Rinse artichokes; cut off stems even with base. Cut off about 1 inch of artichoke tops with sharp knife. With kitchen scissors, snip off all spiny leaf tips. Gently spread leaves open; pull out small yellow inner leaves. With a teaspoon, scrape out fuzzy choke just below inner leaves. Spoon stuffing mixture into hollow centers of artichokes. Place stuffed artichokes in a deep kettle stem-side down. Spoon 1 tablespoon olive oil over each artichoke. Carefully pour boiling water 2 inches deep into kettle. Cover and bring water to a boil again. Reduce heat, simmer until artichokes leaves easily pull away from base, about 40 minutes. Drain on paper towels stem-side down. Pour 1/4 cup melted butter or margarine into each of 4 small bowls. Let diners squeeze lemon juice over cooked artichokes and stuffing if desired. Eat stuffing with a fork. Pull leaves from artichokes with fingers, dip lower part of leaves into melted butter then pull meaty portion of leaves with lower teeth. Makes 4 servings.

WASHINGTON — China Wednesday called for global cooperation to improve food safety, noting that it along with product quality are an international problem.

“No country’s products are immune to problems,” said Zhao Baoqing, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington.

But Zhao added that China will intensify food safety supervision and punish all those responsible for supplying tainted food.

“Food safety and product quality is an international problem, and is also something that all countries pay attention to,” said Zhao, who previously worked for China’s product quality watchdog, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ).

Zhao admitted that China’s food safety needs improving, but said that the vast majority of Chinese exports to United States are of high quality.

“During 2004 to 2006, more than 99 percent of Chinese food to the US met the US safety and quality standards,” he said.

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